The present invention generally relates to a splint that can be worn while a user sleeps or rests; the splint holding the foot and ankle at a 90° angle to apply a mild stretch on the calf muscles and the plantar fascia.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot. The plantar fascia extends from the bottom surface of the heel bone to the bottom of the forefoot just behind the toes. If the plantar fascia becomes strained, the arch and heel bone area of the foot can become tender and swollen. This is referred to as plantar fasciitis, a common and painful medical condition of the foot.
Often, plantar fasciitis is caused by inflexibility or tightness of the Achilles tendon, which extends upward from the heel in the back of the lower leg. That is, during physical activity, a person's Achilles tendon can extend beyond a position that normally occurs when one stands, walks, runs, or sits. When the Achilles tendon extends in this way, this places tension and strain on the plantar fascia.
Patients have successfully treated plantar faciitis by wearing a rigid splint at night while sleeping. The splint includes an upper portion and a lower portion, with the lower portion generally extending at an ankle of 90 degrees with respect to the upper portion. By wearing this splint, the patient's foot is maintained in a state of dorsiflexion (i.e., flexion of 90 degrees) and the plantar fascia is prevented from contracting or shortening during the night.
Prior devices for stretching and splinting the leg, ankle and foot attempt to maintain the foot in a 90° angle to stretch the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles by strapping the lower leg and foot to a rigid, dorsal splint formed at a 90° angle. Obtaining dorsiflexion in such a manner rarely achieves the goal of maintaining a position of 90° or less because if the toes are not specifically engaged in the device they tend to plantar flex, which relaxes the plantar fascia and allows the forefoot to drop away from the brace This dropping of the forefoot creates a lever effect on the dorsal splint causing it to pull away from the shin and resulting in a foot/leg angle of substantially greater that 90°. The simultaneous action of the foot and shin pulling away from the rigid splint also creates a pressure point across the neck of the ankle.
Stiffness and/or contracture of the gastrocnemius fascia, Achilles tendon, plantar fascia, posterior tibial tendon, deep flexor muscles and other soft tissues of the foot and ankle are associated with several pathologic conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to: plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendonitis, Achilles tendinosis, metatarsalgia, ankle contracture, painful callosities, and ulcerations. Accordingly, the treatment of these conditions may include the use of exercises, therapy and devices designed to splint and/or stretch the said anatomic structures. One device or class of devices is worn by the patient while at rest, usually at night, and therefore commonly referred to as a “night splint.”
To splint and/or stretch the foot while at rest, a variety of devices have been developed. Despite the extensive development of such devices, they continue to exhibit certain disadvantages. The main disadvantage is that no existing device specifically engages and dorsiflexes the toes to provide a specific and sustained stretch to the plantar fascia and to apply tension to the muscles of the foot and leg enough to allow them to easily maintain the 90° angle most practitioners view as optimal for effective treatment of plantar fasciitis.